Jeanne's Killer Bread

Arriving in Los Angeles, we drove to our friend Jeanne's house to be greeted by her two Schnauzers and her smiling self. We hadn't seen her in quite a while (in fact, we had never met the second Schnauzer), so we had lots of catching up to do over snacks that she had thoughtfully provided.

There were bagel and pita chips and two kinds of dip but the snack that won my heart immediately was the round loaf of French bread, cut in half into two thinner rounds, spread with butter and garlic salt and topped with slices of Brie cheese. It had been baked in the oven for about 15 minutes to melt the butter and cheese, then removed and broiled briefly to lightly brown and crisp the top. In other words, garlic bread with melted cheese on top - what's not to love?

The first bite is both crispy and unctuous as the crust gives way to the rich, buttery interior. This is pure sin food, no two ways about it, and it was out of this world. It would make an entire dinner with just a green salad on the side; as it was, we three could only finish less than half of this rich and deliciously naughty snack.